Mandarins

On the Sunny Side

Main character Esther feels like she doesn't fit into the 'elite' and takes the big showdown with those who always have.

In the Navel of the Sea

In a remote fishing island in the 50's, Pepito grows up learning the trade of his mother, Rosa, the only midwife capable of delivering the newborn babies of their community. At first, the young son doesn't mind the unusual arrangement, but as he grows older, he begins to resist the role traditionally meant only for women. In time, Pepito's coming of age intersects with the lives of the other islanders, whose beliefs and struggles become critical impetus to his maturity.

Children of the World

The First Supper

Rintaro (Sometani Shota) returns home for the first time in a while to prepare for and attend his father's funeral. He and his sister are surprised to find that their mother has canceled the catering order, and instead will be making the food herself in accordance with her late husband's will. The first dish she brings out is simply sunny side up eggs, and the attendees are at a loss. Rintaro recalls that this was the first meal his father had cooked for him and his sister.

Scénarios sur la drogue

The Nativity Story

Mary and Joseph make the hard journey to Bethlehem for a blessed event in this retelling of the Nativity story. This meticulously researched and visually lush adaptation of the biblical tale follows the pair on their arduous path to their arrival in a small village, where they find shelter in a quiet manger and Jesus is born.

Terminal

George, stoic and overprotective, travels to Zurich with his daughter Rachel. One is planning physician-assisted suicide; the other has just one day left to intervene.

Echo

A reframing of the classic tale of Narcissus, the director draws on snippets of conversation with a trusted friend to muse on gender and identity. Just as shimmers are difficult to grasp as knowable entities, so does the concept of a gendered self feel unknowable except through reflection. Is it Narcissus that Echo truly longs for, or simply the Knowing he possesses when gazing upon himself?

Die Lizenz

After two years of waiting, Adam and Ellas first part of the application for a „licence to procreate“ has been successfully reviewed. To complete the process, the request is followed up with an obligatory and final interview in the intimacy of their home. Their fate is now in the hands of the government clerk Gudrun Paschke.

The Right to Love

With a script co-written by Weimar-era sexologist Magnus Hirschfeld, this enlightened drama deals with WWI soldiers who have become impotent due to wounds but still want to marry.

Crucified Girl

The young student Mary spends the beginning of her holiday with boat trips, visits to her wealthy groom, and gardening. In fast-paced, rhythmic cuts, Louise and Jakob Fleck draw their audience into a carefree, urban romantic comedy. With a single scene, however, it turns into a melodrama about sexual violence, shame and perpetrator-victim reversal.

Zero Motivation

Filmmaker Talya Lavie steps into the spotlight with a dark comedy about everyday life for a unit of young female Israeli soldiers. The human resources office at a remote desert base serves as the setting for this cast of characters, who bide their time pushing paper, battling for the top score in Minesweeper, and counting down the minutes until they can return to civilian life. Amidst their boredom and clashing personalities, issues of commitment—from friendship to love and country—are handled with humor and sharp-edged wit.

Bubble Gummed Girl

Emma is addicted to chewing gum and in the middle of puberty, but doesn't really want to admit it. She doesn't want to do anything with her sandpit friend Lasse other than swinging, playing with her father's railroad world and chewing gum - nothing should change. But Lasse suddenly has a girlfriend and, even worse, he's also interested in sex.

Fuego Fatuo

Noé receives a call announcing that they have found a woman who is most likely his daughter who disappeared 15 years ago.

Accessories

This short film explores the relationship between a man and a woman in a funeral. After the event, the couple faces tensions due to the lack of public recognition of their relationship. An argument reveals insecurities and unmet expectations.

Sunflower Nicky

Eight year old Nicolas dreams of owning a Nikki doll, but when his dream becomes a reality it sends a shift through his home as his parents grapple with their beliefs of how their young son should express himself.

One Night Stand Murder

Alyssa wakes up in a home that's not hers and discovers a dead body. With no memory of how she got there, and no idea of who he is, Alyssa tries to piece together what exactly happened the night before.